ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Department of Transportation officials say they're supporting a proposal to give the agency the option of raising speed limits on metro Atlanta interstates.

GDOT officials are considering raising the speed limit to 70 in urban areas — or places with populations of 50,000 or more. The agency raised the speed limit to 65 mph along a 27-mile stretch of I-285 in November. Department records show that drivers traveled at 65.4 mph after the limit was raised, compared with 65.5 mph from before. The limit had been 55 mph.

The department's Chief Engineer Russell McMurry told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that (http://bit.ly/1dJ7RVS ) reaction from drivers shows that the speed limit was set at an appropriate level.

Officials say the proposal wouldn't mean an automatic speed limit increase on all area interstates.

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